Nadene Goldfoot
In 1980, my husband and I made aliyah to Israel from Eastern Oregon. One of my reoccurring memories is watching TV's station from Syria and their line-up of soldiers at midnight's ending of programs showing how brave they were by biting an animal they were holding. It gave me the willies to know that we in Safed were living so close to Syria and that their soldiers were so disgusting. Thank goodness neither of us were of the age to be called into service and ever have to face such people.
"1970s: For al-Asad, the conflict with Israel takes precedence over all other foreign policy considerations. During the late Ottoman period, the territory that eventually became the Palestinian mandate was regarded as part of southern Syria, and its transformation into the state of Israel was felt to be a keen loss by most Syrians". Many Arab Palestinians thought of themselves as Syrians, and were always told they were born in Syria. They had left southern Syria and entered places like Tel Aviv where they found jobs in building since Russian Jews had entered from 1880 on in Palestine, leaving pogroms in Russia and could use the help.
Just 7 years earlier, Syria and Egypt were sharing a fast-time with Jews fasting for Yom Kippur, and the Muslims fasting for Ramadan. You'd think we have so much in common with both peoples adamant about believing in one G-d and all. But that's where it stops; in the numerals of how many gods there are. Not when their morality is so different: Israel only fought defensive wars; and were not aggressors. Although, a pre-emptive strike is allowed in war when one knows of the other's intentions, like in 1967, Israel saw all the enemy; ready, able and willing at any moment about to attack.
It was a war planned way ahead of October 1973 by Egypt. Egypt and other Muslims nations involved in the 1967 Six Day War were burning with anger from losing that war and were anxious to have another go at it to prove they could beat the Israelis.
The Syrian Minister of Defense, Mustafa Tlas, was telling the Syrian National Assembly in December 1973 after the Yom Kippur War of the following example of "supreme valor" by Syrian troops. "There is the outstanding case of a recruit from Aleppo", a city with a high population of Jews, "who murdered 28 Jewish soldiers all by himself, slaughtering them like sheep." The 1973 War had been terrible for Israel, though they won in the end. In the beginning, Syria and Egypt were winning and their enemies had crossed the Sinai and a post was taken where the Israelis were taken prisoners. "All of his comrades in arms witnessed this. He butchered 3 of them with an ax ad decapitated them...He struggled face to face with one of them an throwing down his ax managed to break his neck and devour his flesh in front of his comrades. This is a special case. Need I single it out to award him the Medal of the Republic? I will grant this medal to any soldier who succeeds in killing 28 Jews, and I will cover him with appreciation and honor his bravery." How humans act during wartime tell a lot about their beliefs.
During this Yom Kippur War that started with a surprise attack by Egypt on October 6, 1973 and went on till October 25th a post of Israeli soldiers had been captured in the beginning by Syrian and Egyptian troops. They had been mistreated. Upon their surrender, dozens of Israeli POWs were murdered. Others were tortured--violating the Geneva Prisoner of War Convention.
According to a report submitted to the international Red Cross by the Israeli Government on December 8, 1973, Israeli troops discovered bodies of Israeli soldiers on the Golan Heights in northern Israel whose hands and legs had been bound and whose eyes had been gouged. They had been executed at close range.
In the south on the Egyptian front, according to a report submitted to the Red Cross on December 9, 1973, Israeli soldiers fared no better. Surrendering soldiers were beaten, subjected to whippings, sexual attacks, burning and starvation---many were executed.
They treated their own people in their own country no better when they were taken into police stations. A first-hand report I heard from friend "Jack" of Syria told me this, and he experience first hand being in jails in both Syria and later in Egypt, though not as bad there as Syria. So expecting the worst when they were in Israeli hands, believed they would be treated badly also.
The surprise came to Syrian Col. Atnon El-Kodar who was taken to an Israeli hospital. After his release, he had the chutzpa to complain of maltreatment by Israeli doctors, charging unnecessary amputation of a leg. An American reported, Ed deFontaine, who had met Kodar in an Israeli hospital, felt the colonel must "have had a very short memory about what had been done to save his life...He told Hugh Baker, a representative of Amnesty International, that he owed his life to his doctor!
One has to remember that the tiny nation of Israel had to withstand an attack in 1973 from not only Egypt but Syria and others like Morocco who contributed fighting forces to both the Syrian and Egyptian fronts in their 1973 Yom Kippur War against Israel. A coalition besides Morocco were fighting against Israel again, like they did in 1967. When the fourth Arab-Israeli war began on October 6, 1973, many of Israel’s soldiers were away from their posts observing Yom Kippur (or Day of Atonement), and the Arab armies made impressive advances with their up-to-date Soviet weaponry. Iraqi forces soon joined the war, and Syria received support from Jordan.
After several days, Israel was fully mobilized, and the Israel Defense Forces began beating back the Arab gains at a heavy cost to soldiers and equipment. A U.S. airlift of arms aided Israel’s cause, but President Richard Nixon (1913-94) delayed the emergency military aid for a week as a tacit signal of U.S. sympathy for Egypt. On October 25, an Egyptian-Israeli cease-fire was secured by the United Nations.
It started on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, the Day of Atonement (October 6, 1973). It came almost as a complete surprise and warning notice was given too late for an orderly call-up of the reserves before zero hour. Israel lost 2,688 soldiers. Out of 265 Israeli tanks, they had 100 left. Practically all Jews were in their synagogues on a 25 hour fast when word of the attack came. Thirsty Jews had to leap to action on empty stomachs.
In contrast to how Egypt and Syria treated Israeli prisoners, numerous observers reported that Israel's treatment of captured Arab soldiers was above reproach. They treat their prisoners well, and they seem to be getting the best medical treatment possible.
Resource: https://mfa.gov.il/mfa/aboutisrael/history/pages/the%20yom%20kippur%20war%20-%20october%201973.aspx
Myths and Facts, by Mitchell G. Bard and Joel Himelfarb, PhDs.
From Time Immemorial by Joan Peters
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Kippur_War
https://www.history.com/topics/middle-east/yom-kippur-war
 |
| Invasion of Egypt October 6, 1973-Yom Kippur War Crossing Suez Canal into Sinai |
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| The Shah of Iran is inspecting the Syrian troops. The Shah would be ousted in 1979. |
"1970s: For al-Asad, the conflict with Israel takes precedence over all other foreign policy considerations. During the late Ottoman period, the territory that eventually became the Palestinian mandate was regarded as part of southern Syria, and its transformation into the state of Israel was felt to be a keen loss by most Syrians". Many Arab Palestinians thought of themselves as Syrians, and were always told they were born in Syria. They had left southern Syria and entered places like Tel Aviv where they found jobs in building since Russian Jews had entered from 1880 on in Palestine, leaving pogroms in Russia and could use the help.
 |
| Israeli Synagogue on Yom Kippur, Day of Atonement including 25 hour fast. |
 |
| PM Golda Meir knew an attack was imminent but refused to launch a pre-emptive strike. She would not let Israel be an aggressor. Everyone in Israel was then taken by surprise as no one knew when it would happen. |
Just 7 years earlier, Syria and Egypt were sharing a fast-time with Jews fasting for Yom Kippur, and the Muslims fasting for Ramadan. You'd think we have so much in common with both peoples adamant about believing in one G-d and all. But that's where it stops; in the numerals of how many gods there are. Not when their morality is so different: Israel only fought defensive wars; and were not aggressors. Although, a pre-emptive strike is allowed in war when one knows of the other's intentions, like in 1967, Israel saw all the enemy; ready, able and willing at any moment about to attack.
It was a war planned way ahead of October 1973 by Egypt. Egypt and other Muslims nations involved in the 1967 Six Day War were burning with anger from losing that war and were anxious to have another go at it to prove they could beat the Israelis.
 |
| Mustafa Tlas with President Assad |
The Syrian Minister of Defense, Mustafa Tlas, was telling the Syrian National Assembly in December 1973 after the Yom Kippur War of the following example of "supreme valor" by Syrian troops. "There is the outstanding case of a recruit from Aleppo", a city with a high population of Jews, "who murdered 28 Jewish soldiers all by himself, slaughtering them like sheep." The 1973 War had been terrible for Israel, though they won in the end. In the beginning, Syria and Egypt were winning and their enemies had crossed the Sinai and a post was taken where the Israelis were taken prisoners. "All of his comrades in arms witnessed this. He butchered 3 of them with an ax ad decapitated them...He struggled face to face with one of them an throwing down his ax managed to break his neck and devour his flesh in front of his comrades. This is a special case. Need I single it out to award him the Medal of the Republic? I will grant this medal to any soldier who succeeds in killing 28 Jews, and I will cover him with appreciation and honor his bravery." How humans act during wartime tell a lot about their beliefs.
During this Yom Kippur War that started with a surprise attack by Egypt on October 6, 1973 and went on till October 25th a post of Israeli soldiers had been captured in the beginning by Syrian and Egyptian troops. They had been mistreated. Upon their surrender, dozens of Israeli POWs were murdered. Others were tortured--violating the Geneva Prisoner of War Convention.
According to a report submitted to the international Red Cross by the Israeli Government on December 8, 1973, Israeli troops discovered bodies of Israeli soldiers on the Golan Heights in northern Israel whose hands and legs had been bound and whose eyes had been gouged. They had been executed at close range.
In the south on the Egyptian front, according to a report submitted to the Red Cross on December 9, 1973, Israeli soldiers fared no better. Surrendering soldiers were beaten, subjected to whippings, sexual attacks, burning and starvation---many were executed.
They treated their own people in their own country no better when they were taken into police stations. A first-hand report I heard from friend "Jack" of Syria told me this, and he experience first hand being in jails in both Syria and later in Egypt, though not as bad there as Syria. So expecting the worst when they were in Israeli hands, believed they would be treated badly also.
 |
| Enemy soldier rushed into Israel Israel hospital I lived down the street from Safed's hospital where the enemy was taken in 1982. Helicopters landed on the hospital roof; and the children never knew if the injured were family members or the enemy. My 9th grade boys were asked to help medics with the language as they could speak Hebrew, Arabic and a little English. I believe this was my hospital, Rambam in Haifa, an Army hospital. My first 10 months was spent in an Ulpan in Haifa, where I broke my elbow and arm. |
The surprise came to Syrian Col. Atnon El-Kodar who was taken to an Israeli hospital. After his release, he had the chutzpa to complain of maltreatment by Israeli doctors, charging unnecessary amputation of a leg. An American reported, Ed deFontaine, who had met Kodar in an Israeli hospital, felt the colonel must "have had a very short memory about what had been done to save his life...He told Hugh Baker, a representative of Amnesty International, that he owed his life to his doctor!
One has to remember that the tiny nation of Israel had to withstand an attack in 1973 from not only Egypt but Syria and others like Morocco who contributed fighting forces to both the Syrian and Egyptian fronts in their 1973 Yom Kippur War against Israel. A coalition besides Morocco were fighting against Israel again, like they did in 1967. When the fourth Arab-Israeli war began on October 6, 1973, many of Israel’s soldiers were away from their posts observing Yom Kippur (or Day of Atonement), and the Arab armies made impressive advances with their up-to-date Soviet weaponry. Iraqi forces soon joined the war, and Syria received support from Jordan.
After several days, Israel was fully mobilized, and the Israel Defense Forces began beating back the Arab gains at a heavy cost to soldiers and equipment. A U.S. airlift of arms aided Israel’s cause, but President Richard Nixon (1913-94) delayed the emergency military aid for a week as a tacit signal of U.S. sympathy for Egypt. On October 25, an Egyptian-Israeli cease-fire was secured by the United Nations.
It started on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, the Day of Atonement (October 6, 1973). It came almost as a complete surprise and warning notice was given too late for an orderly call-up of the reserves before zero hour. Israel lost 2,688 soldiers. Out of 265 Israeli tanks, they had 100 left. Practically all Jews were in their synagogues on a 25 hour fast when word of the attack came. Thirsty Jews had to leap to action on empty stomachs.
In contrast to how Egypt and Syria treated Israeli prisoners, numerous observers reported that Israel's treatment of captured Arab soldiers was above reproach. They treat their prisoners well, and they seem to be getting the best medical treatment possible.
Resource: https://mfa.gov.il/mfa/aboutisrael/history/pages/the%20yom%20kippur%20war%20-%20october%201973.aspx
Myths and Facts, by Mitchell G. Bard and Joel Himelfarb, PhDs.
From Time Immemorial by Joan Peters
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Kippur_War
https://www.history.com/topics/middle-east/yom-kippur-war
